Melker Kayaks Varmdo Cork-Core

Cork Core and Trad Core Varmdo

Since I can't go out and test kayaks myself, I decided to call on the help of my good friend Andrew Schlegel from Stella Blue Sales in the Midwest. He just got his hands on the brand new Cork and Flax Varmdo, so I asked him if he would be willing to film a few strokes so I could see how the kayak performs. I loved watching how Andrew puts the kayak through its paces.

On Water Performance:

Watching Andrew paddle is art! He has a graceful style that makes edge turns and rudder strokes look effortless. The Varmdo seems like it wants to play. With a little body English, this boat can be tilted onto its edge, and it will carve a nice turn. When flat, the kayak seems to track decently, but some newer paddlers will find the skeg a handy tool for tracking. The stability is huge for a kayak of its size, making newer paddlers feel like a rockstar when learning to play with edge and braces.

Outfitting:

The outfitting is sparse but functional. The seat pan is fiberglass with a foam seat pad and hip pads. The backband is mounted to the pan and can be adjusted forward and backward with a strap. The decklines and bungee are practical, but I do have two requests if anyone from Melker is reading. The first thing would be to give us some more length on the toggles. This will get the toggle off the deck and allow it to spin around in your hand if you're swimming and hanging onto the kayak. The second thing is the cross-pattern bungee for paddle float rescues behind the cockpit. I would like to see a doubled-up bungee that runs bow to stern between the X pattern. A small detail, but one that is very helpful when teaching or learning these skills. Another smart outfitting item that jumped out to me was the rear bulkhead. It was close to the rear of the cockpit, making it simple to drain out in case of a swim.

Trad-Core White with Flax

Layup:

We tested out the Cork-Core layup, which is the lighter, fancier of the two options, the other being the Trad-Core, which is flax and fiberglass. Both options are beautiful and fully repairable, just like any other composite kayak. I broke down the weights and stats below. I don't know much about the long-term durability of the cork, but once I spend some time with it, I will be sure to share my thoughts.

If you're interested in seeing the Värmdö getting put through its paces, check out my recent video here.

What do you guys think? Would you buy a Cork and Flax Kayak? Here are the stats.

Melker Varmdo Stats: Trad-Core $3750 Cork Core (as shown) $4990

	Low Volume (LV)	High Volume (HV)
Length	411 cm / 13.5’	442 cm / 14.5’
Width	59.5 cm / 23.5”	62 cm / 24.5”
Weight	19 kg / 42 lbs	20 kg / 44 lbs
Cockpit size	85 cm x 50 cm	90,5 cm x 57,5 cm
Storage (liter)	60 + 115	65 + 135
Optimal paddler weight	45-90 kg	75-120 kg